1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a base for supporting an image forming apparatus, such as an electro- photographic apparatus, and also to a device which can be combined with the base and the image forming apparatus to add a new function to the image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a copying machine, as an example of an electrophotographic apparatus, is mounted on a custom designed base of a height that the operation panel of the machine is located about 900 mm above the floor, so that it is easy for a standing operator to operate the machine. The reason why a custom designed base is used is that copying machines of different types have different heights. The base is used not only to support the machine but also to store sheets of copying paper, toner containers, a cleaning kit, and the like.
A base having a specific height must be used to support a coping machine having a specific height, so that the operator can easily operate the machine. In other words, if a copying machine is mounted on the base designed for another copying machine having a different height, it is difficult for the operator to operate the machine. Hence, the manufacturer must manufacture many types of bases having different heights for supporting the various types of copying machines having different heights. The user also has the following problems. When a copying machine is replaced by a new one having a different height, the base also must be replaced with a new one. If the base is discarded, this wastes material. If the base is not discarded and left on the floor for possible future use, the floor area is wasted. Thus, the need for many kinds of bases raises the manufacturing cost and inventory control costs of a manufacturer, and also raises the cost for exchanging bases at the side of the user.
Recently, a copying machine has been developed to which various kinds of function-adding devices can be detachably attached. These devices add new functions to the image forming apparatus when they are attached to the apparatus. Among these devices, for example, a paper-reversing device and a mass storage paper feeding device are well known. The former is used for reversing a paper sheet so that images can be copied on both surfaces, and the latter is used for storing a great number of paper sheets which are of special size or a heavily consumed size and feeding them, one by one, to the copying machine.
A variety of function-adding devices are available. However, two or more function-adding devices cannot be simultaneously used in combination with a copying machine.
Therefore, the manufacturer manufactures many kinds of single-function-adding type machines, and further manufactures many kinds of multi-function-adding type machines, each of which can add two or more functions to the copying machine when its is connected to the bottom surface of the copying machine.
A large number of various kinds of function-adding devices, including single-function-adding type and multi-function-adding type, also raises the manufacturing cost and inventory control cost at the side of the manufacturer, and also raises a cost for exchanging one kind of base for another kind of base at the side of the user.